Darkest Dreaming
by i-love-svu
Summary: Grissom and Heather as teens. They're in high school, and as they get to know each other, he discovers a very shocking secret about the young girl and her family. AU, inspired by a short book I read. Complete.
1. First Glance

**Note: I really didn't feel like writing an age difference between Heather and Grissom in this story, so he's 17 and she's 16. They're in high school together and things will get very interesting. :)

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The first time he saw her was in science class. The third period of the school day, and Gil Grissom's favorite. At seventeen years old, he loved science more than anything else in the world. He understood each aspect of the class, something that surprised even the aged teacher.

He glanced her way and did a double take. He hadn't noticed this beautiful young woman before, and was shocked by that fact. The young man allowed himself a moment of discreet observing to take in her beauty.

Her brownish-red hair was flipped over her shoulders, her head bent slightly downward to focus upon the assignment. That was another stunning thing; She was actually doing the school work. The other girls in the class were chatting quietly about God only knew what. But not this particular girl. She was jotting down answers faster than Gil had ever seen anyone write.

Just as he was about to continue watching the girl, the bell rang, signaling it was time for the next class. Adding more dismal to Gil's plan, the teacher stopped in front of him. He leaned to the side, hoping to catch a glimpse of the young woman again, but the teacher wouldn't allow it.

"Gil, please give me your paper."

He obediently handed the older woman his sheet of paper, scooped up his belongings and bolted from the class. The girl he had been watching was no where to be seen in the semi-crowded hall.

Gil had trouble concentrating throughout his next classes. His mind kept wandering to that girl. She looked younger, maybe by a year or two, but he wasn't sure.

By lunch time, he was hell bent on finding the young lady. He didn't bother getting in the line in the cafeteria, knowing it would only waste time that he didn't have.

His eyes searched every table, every possible seat in the room for the girl. He didn't even know her name yet he felt as though he was madly in love with her.

His cafeteria search was a fruitless effort. He shoved his hands deep inside the pockets of his jeans and strode out to the courtyard. It was the same old scene; A few jocks throwing a football around, girls seated on the cement watching in awe. It happened every day. But then, out of the corner of his eye, her saw her.

She was sitting in the far corner of the lot, seated upon a large cement half wall. Her long legs draping over the edge, feet teasing the grass just on the other side. And she was reading a book. As Gil neared her, he saw the title. _To Kill A Mockingbird_. It was one of his favorites.

"Hi," He greeted with a smile.

The girl didn't look right away. She very slowly turned her head to look at Gil, as if she wasn't sure if he was really talking to her.

Her electric green eyes caused his jaw to slightly drop. They were the most intense shade of green he had ever seen. It took him a moment to regain his ability to think, but after doing so, he flashed her another smile.

"I've read that book," He pointed to the cover, "So many times I've lost count. How about you?"

The girl grinned back. Just as she opened her mouth to answer, the bell rang and lunch period was over. Meaning they had to get back to class. She swung her legs over the half wall and walked hurriedly past him.

"Wait!" Gil called. "Meet me out here after school?"

"Okay!" She called over her shoulder with a smile, then disappeared in the crowd.

Gil grinned triumphantly to himself before returning to his classes, awaiting the final bell of the day.


	2. Meeting

**Note: Wow, thanks so much for the reviews! I wasn't expecting anyone to like it. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as much as you did the first. :)

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She found it hard to focus after her interaction with the young man. No one had ever shown an interest in her, not even the teachers. He was the first.

Throughout her remaining classes, Heather found herself glancing up at the clock quite frequently. She'd stare at it for a moment then finish the assignment in front of her.

At 2:15, she looked up at the clock and realized it was her last class of the day. In fifteen minutes, she'd be outside talking to the only person to have ever shown the slightest interest in her.

Gil was sitting in English Literature, tapping his pen impatiently as he watched the clock. The seconds seemed to take hours to pass, but finally, the bell rang. He leapt from his seat and ran from the room to the front of the school.

He sat on the half wall where he had found the girl earlier that day. As people exited the school, he scanned the groups of them, looking for the girl. Just when he was about to give up, she appeared.

She walked out of the school with her books clutched to her chest. Walking slowly, her eyes noticeably lit up when she spotted Gil.

"Hello," He greeted with a smile.

"Hi." Her voice was soft, gentle, angelic. She put her books down next to Gil's, then got up on the wall to sit next to him.

"I'm Gil," He introduced himself.

"Heather."

"So, Heather, how are you enjoying your book?" He couldn't help but smile yet again.

"I love it. It's a really good and intriguing book." Heather grinned back at him.

Gil glanced at his watch. It was 2:40.

"I have to work tonight, but if you'd like, you're more than welcome to come to my house tomorrow. We can study or go for a walk or something."

Heather thought for a moment. Tomorrow would be Saturday, and she didn't have any plans, so going on a walk with Gil sounded perfect.

"That'd be great. What time, and where do you live?" Heather asked. She pulled a piece of paper from her notebook, ready to write down his address.

"Would it be okay if I stopped by your house to get you? I could just stop after my shift and pick you up."

Heather nodded. She jotted down her address and handed him the paper. "See you tomorrow!"

She jumped off of the half wall, books in hand, and sprinted away. She glanced back for a moment and she was smiling.

Gil watched her run until she was out of sight. As he began walking home, he was already counting the hours until he would see Heather again.


	3. A Walk and a Painful Surprise

**Disclaimer: No, as I'm sure you are aware, I do not own CSI. Jerry and I tried to make a deal but he's a tough one to bargin with. :P**

**NOTE: Family violence ahead. May be disturbing to some readers.

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It was 6:25 by the time Gil had finished his shift. He pulled the neatly folded white piece of paper out of his pocket, looked at the address, and jogged off to find Heather's house.

About five minutes after he had started looking for the address, he found it. He glanced down at the paper in his hand, then up at the numbers on the house.

_564 Bluebell Lane._

Yep, this was the place. A one story house painted white with light green shutters. He walked up the sidewalk to the porch, which was also painted white. He knocked on the screen door and waited. The house was pretty, but something seemed off about it. He couldn't quite figure out what.

Heather appeared in the doorway with a small grin. "Let's go," She whispered, pulling the door shut behind her as she slipped outside.

They walked along in silence for a while. Heather's tiered skirt lightly touched the ground as they strolled along.

"Where are we walking to?" Gil asked suddenly.

"I'm not really sure." Heather stopped as they reached the street corner. She looked around for a moment, then grabbed Gil's hand and tugged him along behind her.

Gil smiled, allowing himself to be pulled to wherever she was taking him. Every once and a while Heather would stop and look around to make sure she knew where she was going.

"It's just a bit further," Heather turned her head and smiled at Gil. He nodded in reply.

A large riverbank could be seen up ahead. It looked like a fun place to hang out and Gil was surprised he had never seen or heard about it before.

Heather released his hand from her grip and they began walking side by side again. As they neared the water, the gentle rippling of it could be heard. Gil watched as the female next to him sat down in the sand. She looked up at him, then down at the sand next to her. He smiled once before doing as she had.

The tall Oak trees provided the perfect amount of shade for the two. They talked quietly, laughed, and watched the river. Heather rested her head on Gil's shoulder, she yawned softly.

"What time is it?" She softly inquired.

Gil raised his right arm to check his watch. "8:23. Wow, it doesn't seem like almost two hours have gone by."

Heather sat bolt upright. "It's after eight o'clock?" Gil nodded. "I have to go."

She jumped up and started running back toward her house. Gil ran after her, calling her name. He was confused; Why did she have to leave?

"Heather! Wait!"

When she reached the street corner, she stopped abruptly. Gil wasn't a slow runner, but it took him a moment to catch up to her.

"Why do you have to go?" He asked.

"I'll see you in school," Heather told him. She started to walk away but Gil caught her arm.

"Don't leave just yet."

"I have to!"

"Why?" Gil took a step forward. He spoke softly. "Why do you have to go?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Heather brushed Gil's hand off of her arm, and walked back to her house. Gil wasn't ready to leave her alone just yet. He followed her, taking small steps to stay a few feet behind her.

Once she was standing on the sidewalk to her house, Heather spun around to face him.

"If you don't leave, I'm going to be in even more trouble," She informed him.

Gil didn't have time to answer. He watched as a man stormed out of the house. Gil assumed the man was coming at him, but instead, he was going for Heather.

The man grabbed her arm and twisted it until it looked ready to break. Gil flinched but noticed that Heather didn't even blink.

"Where were you?" The man demanded.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left." Her voice was small, scared.

The man twisted her arm more. Gil wanted to help her, but he was so shocked, he didn't have the slightest clue how to do so.

"Are you supposed to leave without me knowing?"

"No, sir," Heather replied.

Gil realized the man was Heather's father. He was shocked that this man was treating his daughter so badly. But he still had no idea how to help her.

"Who were you with?"

"No one."

"Don't lie to me," The man hissed. He released his grip on her arm, making Gil sigh in relief. The relief didn't last long. He sucked in a breath as the man reached up with his right hand and pulled Heather's hair.

"I'm not lying," She retorted, allowing herself to endure the torture her father was inflicting upon her. She knew it would be worse if she fought him, so she went along with it.

He let go of her silky hair a second later. Gil hoped that was the end of the scene before him. Sadly, he was about to see that it wasn't.

The man raised his hand and slapped Heather across the face. She stumbled backward a few steps as the man returned to the house. One he was inside, Gil ran forward to where Heather was standing.

"Are you okay?"

Heather nodded. Her eyes were glassy, she was near tears. Gil gently touched her arm.

"Does he do that often?" He gestured to where she and had father had been standing previously.

She nodded once again and allowed a single tear to slide down here cheek.

"I'd better go inside," She whispered, her left hand pressed to her injured cheek.

Gil nodded his head. "Do you need anything before you go?"

"No, I'm fine." She thought for a moment. "If I'm not at school tomorrow, will you please tell the principal I'm sick?"

"Yes," Gil responded. "But only if you'll let me come over after school. To check on you."

Heather swallowed. She didn't want to get into anymore trouble, but she wanted to see him again. And having someone check to make sure she was okay wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"When you come over, don't knock on the door. Go around to the back and I'll be waiting for you." She winced as she removed her hand from her cheek. Gil took a look at the injury; It was purple and red, the worst bruise he'd ever seen.

"See you tomorrow." He walked back down the sidewalk, heading for his own house. He looked back at Heather one last time as he rounded the corner, silently hoping she wouldn't be in any worse condition the next day.


	4. The Day After

**Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them!

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As Gil strode up the stairs to the school, his stomach flipped. He expected, and hoped, to see Heather sitting on the half wall as he had the previous day. But she wasn't. And as shocking to him as it was, he was not surprised. Somehow he knew that she wasn't going to be at school. What he had witnessed the day before told him that she wouldn't want to attend it that day.

Gil had to resist going to Heather's house before school to check on her. He desperately wanted to but knew he shouldn't. _You'll go over after school and she'll be fine, _He told himself as he strode sluggishly into the school.

His suspicions where confirmed when he got to class. Heather wasn't there. He swallowed hard as the rest of the attendance was called, worrying his heart out for the girl he'd only met two days ago.

He watched the clock all day. He paid no mind at all to the teachers or the assignments. They could wait; He wasn't sure if Heather could.

The bell rang at 2:30, and Gil was the first one out of the building. He ran the entire way to her house, not stopping once until he was just two houses away. He would have stopped directly in front of her house, but didn't want to be seen by her father. For some reason, he was extremely worried about her. He shivered at the thought of the 'punishments' her father came up with.

Gil took a step forward to go around to the back of the house. He paused again. What if her father saw him through one of the windows on the side? He pondered things for a minute, then turned his head to the left. The house next to Heather's was old and abandoned. He could sneak though that yard and cut through the bushes to get to the back of her house.

He carefully stepped through the high weeds and grass until he came to a spot where he could get through the tall hedges separating the old house from Heather's. He checked to make sure her father wasn't outside, then walked through the shrubs.

Brushing the leaves off of his clothes, Gil heard someone step out of the house. He looked up and saw Heather standing on the porch, her head hanging down. She walked to the edge of the wooden porch and sat down, letting her legs hang over. The pair of Capri jeans she was wearing showed off her lightly tanned skin, making Gil smile. But something was wrong and the smile quickly vanished.

"Heather, is it okay if I come over and sit with you?" He asked in a loud whisper.

She glanced back into the house, turning her head in the direction opposite him. Her father was passed out on the couch, and it appeared that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

"Yeah. But be quiet," Heather whispered back.

As Gil sat down next to her, he noticed her flinch. It puzzled him, but he didn't question it. Not yet, anyway.

"How are you?" He asked in the same soft tone.

"Tired." Heather didn't offer any explanation, and Gil didn't ask for one. She was glad he didn't; She wasn't up to telling him what had happened after he had left the day before.

"Did you get into a lot of trouble?"

Heather nodded in reply. She slowly raised her head to look at him. She had a black eye that was partially concealed by her bangs, which had fallen in her face, and it appeared she had applied some sort of makeup to it to try and hide it more. The second thing Gil noticed was her lip. There was a cut on it, the dried blood flaking off. He didn't have time to notice anything else. She lowered her head back down.

"He did that to you?"

She nodded again.

"Heather, you need to report it," Gil whispered. His voice was gentle, yet firm. She needed to know that no man should ever treat a woman like that.

"No. I can't."

"He cannot keep doing this to you."

Heather was silent for a moment. "Gil," She looked at him, into his eyes, "I really don't want to. It'd make this whole thing a lot uglier than it is." Her voice cracked, and Gil didn't have the heart to protest.

"Alright. But if this happens again, please don't keep it quiet. You don't deserve to be treated like this."

"I won't. I promise." She glanced into the house again and sighed. "I'd better go back in. If he wakes up and I'm not in there…"

"Want me to come back later?" Gil inquired.

"No, that's okay. I'll be at school tomorrow, so I'll see you then." Heather smiled at him as she stood up and walked into the house. As the screen door quietly squeaked shut, Gil stood up also and headed back to his own home.


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE: Thanks so much for the reviews! **

**Family Violence ahead!**

He expected to see her at school the next day. He looked for her in every class, and even checked with the principal to see if he had heard from her. But nothing. She was no where to be found.

Gil feared the worst; That her father had beaten more severely, so severely she couldn't even come to school. Somehow, he managed to get through the day. Heather was the only thing on his mind, and when the final bell rang, he was out of the building and off to her house.

He arrived there in a matter of minutes. He was so worried about her that he didn't even go around to the back. Holding his breath, Gil strode up the sidewalk to the front door.

He knocked three times on the screen door. No answer. He pulled open the screen door and rapped on the white painted door, harder this time. Still no answer.

Gil was about to give up, turn around and walk home, when he heard something. It was coming from inside the house and was muffled, so he couldn't really make out what it was. After a moment, he shrugged and took a step toward the edge of the porch when he heard it again. Except this time, it was crystal clear.

A blood-curdling scream rang out, making Gil jump. He looked around to make sure he wasn't imaging things. A second scream could be heard and he moved over to the large bay window of the house, peering inside.

_Maybe I'm hearing things,_ He told himself. Then he spotted Heather's father angrily push something to the ground. Gil swore his heart stopped when he realized the 'something' was actually someone; Heather.

Gil tried the front door, hoping it would be unlocked. It wasn't and he cursed loudly at the fact. Another scream echoed out and he set back into motion.

He sprinted off of the porch around to the back of the house. The back door was wide open, much to his surprise. Gil pulled the screen door open and ran into the house, pausing just inside the kitchen.

Heather was lying on the floor two rooms in front of him, not moving at all. His blood pounded in his ears as he watched in terror, as her father continued to beat her.

"Stop it!" Gil suddenly yelled after finding his voice.

The man looked up in shock, then rushed forward to confront the young man.

"Who the hell are you? And how did you get in my house?"

Gil didn't answer. He brushed passed the man, focused on getting Heather out of that house. When he reached her crumpled figure, he knelt next to her, unsure of how to go about picking her up without hurting her any further. He sucked in a breath as he spotted the blood; A wound on her left arm, her legs, her stomach. She was bleeding, and it scared it.

He quickly scooped the young woman up in his arms and proceeded to carry her out of the house. The man stepped in front of Gil, blocking the door.

"Put my daughter down now," He growled.

"No. Move, so I can get here away from this hellhole," Gil retorted.

Surprisingly, after a moment, the man complied. He stepped aside, allowing Gil room to pass.

Once outside, Gil started walking toward the hospital. It was about ten blocks away and even though the sun was beating down on him, he didn't mind. He just wanted to get Heather some help.

Five minutes passed when Heather finally began to wake up. She moaned quietly, and Gil stopped walking.

"Where am I?" She asked, her eyes still closed.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Gil softly told her. "I think you need stitches."

She was silent and he started walking again. It took her a moment but she finally managed to get her eyes open. She saw that it was Gil carrying her, much to her astonishment.

"I wasn't expecting to see you," She mumbled. Her lip was swollen, making it hard to talk and even harder to understand her. But somehow, Gil deciphered what she was trying to say.

"I know. I wasn't expecting to find you in such a state." He glanced down at her, worry filling his blue eyes.

Heather rested her head against his chest as silence fell between them.

When they got to the hospital, Heather was taken away on a gurney. Doctors and nurses crowded around her, examining her bruised and broken body. Gil gave some information to a nurse sitting behind the check-in counter, then decided to go home for a while.

He'd come back later, of course, to see Heather. But at that moment, he was in dire need of a shower to get rid of the bit of blood he had on him and sleep. So after glancing over his shoulder in the direction they had taken the young teen, Gil strode out of the hospital with a world heavy sigh.


	6. Chapter 6

Fours day after Heather had been admitted to the hospital, it was finally time for her to get released. Her wounds had been bandaged, which included but were not limited to; A broken wrist, a four inch cut on her stomach, several bruises on her legs and arms, a black eye and a rather nasty looking bruise on the right side of her face.

Gil had gone to visit her every day. He couldn't help but smile upon seeing her. Even though her battered appearance broke his heart, she still looked amazing. Most of the time when he entered the room, she was sitting up in the bed with pillows all around her, looking at a beauty magazine. The fourth day was no different.

"I can't believe you actually read those," Gil smirked, standing in the doorway.

Heather looked up from the magazine with a grin. "They make the time pass faster."

"You're going home today." Gil lowered his voice. "You really want to go back there?"

Heather looked at him, her gaze piercing and unmoving. "I have no where else to go. Things won't always be this bad…" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the tiled floor.

"What about relatives? Don't you have an aunt or someone who could take you in?"

"My father is an only child. I never got to know his parents. My mom's siblings won't have anything to do with me, I just know they wouldn't," Heather replied softly.

Gil desperately wanted to help her. But he didn't have the slightest idea how to do so. He thought for a moment that maybe she could live with him. But the idea quickly vanished; His mother needed almost all of his attention, and he didn't want Heather to feel neglected because he had to care for his deaf mother.

"A friend? Anyone you can live with?" He sounded hopeful, and that thankfully covered the anger in his voice. He hated it that this poor girl had to live with a man who beat her, that no one else would take her in.

She thought for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face. "I suppose I could ask my friend Alice if I could stay there for a while. Her parents are always out of town so I don't think it'll be a big deal."

Gil grinned back. "That sounds like a good plan." He checked his watch and saw that his shift started in ten minutes. "I'd better go. If you need a ride to Alice's house, let me know."

He smiled once more at the brunette before exiting the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up! I got my own computer and school started, so I've been extremely busy. This is the last chapter and I hope you like it!**

Heather winced as she attempted to walk on her injured leg. As pain shot through her entire body, she closed her eyes to stop herself from crying. She was glad Gil wasn't there to see her in such a state.

She was alone in the giant house owned by her friend Emma. It was silent, a bit cold and very eerie. She'd never really been alone before; Imagine being sixteen years old and not have been left alone once for your entire sixteen years of existence. It was difficult for her be comfortable in the large space, but she did realize it was better than where she had been living.

With one final step Heather managed to sit on the couch, sinking into the plush piece of furniture. She lifted her cast-covered leg with her hands, placing it so it was propped up on a few pillows at the other end of the couch. It was just her luck that as soon as she was comfortable, the doorbell rang.

"Who is it?" Heather half yelled with a sigh.

"It's me."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Gil? Come in!" She tucked her hair behind her ears, wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and paused briefly to realize she was fixing herself up for him. _"No. I'm not falling for him… Am I?"_ She shook her head, casting the thoughts away. Gil appeared in the doorway to the living room with a smile.

"Hello."

"You scared me!" Heather grinned back. "It's nice to see you."

"It's good to see you too. How's your leg?"

"Broken." She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall next to Gil. "It's the middle of the school day. Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Gil shrugged. "They're not going to teach me anything I don't already know."

Heather nodded, completely understanding that statement. It was so true in both of their cases. And awkward silence fell between them; Gil rubbed his hand across his neck, Heather played with her hair. Suddenly Gil stepped further into the room, with yet another dashing smile upon his face.

"Want me to sign your cast?"

Heather giggled softly, making him shoot her a lopsided grin. Her laugh was elegant, sophisticated. It was the greatest laugh he had ever heard.

"Sure!"

Gil picked up the black marker that had been lying on the coffee table and pulled the cap off. He hastily wrote something, smiled at her, and put the marker back where it had been.

"I have to go, but if you need anything you can call me. And I'm coming back over later. See you in a while."

He didn't give her a chance to protest; He strode from the room with a smile, knowing exactly what her reaction would be to what he had written. Heather sighed, annoyed by Gil. He knew she was stuck in the house until her leg healed, yet he visited for a moment and left. She glanced at her right leg, the broken one, to see what the message he had left. She blinked several times upon seeing a short paragraph.

"Jeez…"

Heather began reading the print with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"_Heather,_

_Don't let the broken leg stop you. You can use your crutches to get around. Maybe tonight we can go to the riverbank. I'd drive us there, of course."_

He made a little smiley face after the sentence, making everything seem like it was all right. Actually, things were good. Heather was no longer living with her abusive father, she had a new friend. She couldn't help but see Gil as more than a friend. He _was_ more than a friend. He had rescued her from her father, taken her to the hospital. He visited her at least every day after school. Sure, he hadn't expressed any outward interest in being her boyfriend, but maybe that would come with time. Until that time, if it ever came, they were good friends. She saw the he had written one more line below the rest.

"_But don't think having a broken leg is going to get out of doing homework."_

Heather laughed as she relaxed back on the couch. Yes, they were good friends indeed.


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